Yet!

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17-18 ESV

It is no secret that we credit our great and loving God for the answers to our prayers, or to be more accurate, the answers we want or even like. We lift our hands and voices in praise when that loved one is spared a serious and life threatening illness, or a student gets an A+ grade, we have enough money to pay our bills, our day out has good sunny weather, or I have even heard of someone thanking God for finding a parking place in an otherwise busy car park.

But what about those times that we pray earnestly, and the answer is not what we needed or wanted? That loved one was not spared the finality of her life threatening disease? Our much loved child failed their exams spectacularly, We couldn’t pay that bill and it went overdue? It rained on our Sunday School trip and the day was ruined? And perish the thought, we didn’t get that much needed parking place close to the shopping mall!

The Old Testament prophet knew all about trouble. Real trouble, and he prayed because he needed to pray, BUT he didn’t just recognise the good answers from God, he still praised Him when the storeroom was empty, the harvest failed, and the livestock died all creating a drought and famine in the land. It doesn’t make sense to us to praise God for answers like these, but that’s exactly what he did. The reason is that the prophet trusted God to know the end from the beginning. He knew that God saw the long term outlook and not just what was happening now.

May the good Lord help us to be trusting enough to know that He’s got this on our behalf. It may not be what our short sightedness sees, but it will be what will be best in the long run. I reckon we can see the funny side of the person who doesn’t get a parking slot, but what about the loved one that dies in spite of our frantic and heart wrenching prayers? That, my Christian friend is one of the biggest lessons life will ever through at you, or me. I hope, trust and pray we are up to the challenge of the “yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” just like that little known, but wise Old Testament prophet Habakkuk!